Individual Entry

HD DVD review: Children of Men

Presenting one of 2006’s best films with a stellar transfer and audio, and some genuinely informative extras, this HD DVD of Children of Men is one of the best high definition releases I’ve seen so far, and one that gets my unreserved recommendation. In fact, I’d even go so far as to recommend that those who are currently not yet HD DVD-ready pick up a copy, if they don’t already have a copy of the DVD, given that the DVD side includes all of the content from the stand-alone release.

One of the most powerful films of the last year arrives in high definition. I’ve reviewed Universal’s HD DVD/DVD combo of Children of Men, given a stellar audio-visual presentation and some insightful extras.

Comments

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I just recieved my copy today - I'm going to watch it tonight, heard it's a good film and that the PQ is awesome (and 1.85 for a change)

Posted by: aw, April 5, 2007 1:34 AM

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I just saw it...whew! what a great experience - I can't recall a film ever having such a profound impact on me afterwards. I liked the ending - abrupt. Despite its positive note, it would seem uncharacteristic for this film to have the sort of extended and contrived smiley-face ending. At least that's what the producers wanted.

Posted by: aw, April 5, 2007 7:26 AM

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SPOILERS***************

What I didnt liked about the ending, is when the "rebels" actually find them just when they are about to open the door that lead to the small boat... lame!

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Otherwise, an almost perfect film!

Posted by: ARCVILE, April 5, 2007 12:29 PM

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"...while in many ways thematically similar to the Y Tu Mamá También, at least as far as the protagonists' self-discovery is concerned,"

I don't think those are the major similarities with Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN. Both movies use their plots as McGuffins (Theo carrying the pregnant girl, boys on a road trip to get laid...) to show the real movie in the background. Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN showcases modern day Mexico while CHILDREN OF MEN showcases a (possibly true) futuristic England.

****SPOILERS****

****SPOILERS****

***I WARNED YOU... SPOILERS***

I think Juliane Moore getting the second billing and major screen time in the previews was to shock the viewers with her early death, like Janet Leigh in PSYCHO, Adrianne King in FRIDAY THE 13th PART TWO, or Franka Potente in THE BOURNE SUPREMACY.

Posted by: Marcus, April 5, 2007 3:40 PM

6.

Watched this last night with the girlfriend. Both of us were gripped and enthralled from start to finish. The real stand-out aspects for me were Clive Owen giving a genuinely accomplished performance and best of all the superb cinematography. Yes, the film is quite dark in places and very drab colour scheme wise but that frayed urban feel really captures the current zeitgeist of defeat and despair inherent to late-capitalist society.

The hand-held camera aesthetic, often over done in the hands of a less capable director and crew, was masterfully handled especially in the long continuous shot inside the building in the refugee slum. I also felt that whilst bordering on the over-stated the momentary halt brought to the bloodletting between the "terrorists" and the army by the sight of Owen and Key bringing out the crying baby summed up visually the films thematic core. That of human life, whatever its ethnicity, is something to be valued and treated with respect. A lesson history tells us we've yet to learn and inevitably never will as our supposed civilised society flounders from one bloody conflict to another. One only has to reflect on our own growing tendency in Britain to shoot, stab and murder our own neighbours in both city and countryside.

On a negative note though I did find the ending a little too abrupt and it highlighted my main criticism of the film over all. Whilst Director Alfonso Cauron may wish to bring the background to the foreground and really tell the story through images I felt this technique contributed to a lack of depth being given to the main characters. However, this is just a personal response as I was moved by the film (the isolated school scene in particular) and could have even been moved to tears I suspect if the characters had engaged my sympathy to a greater degree by the film allowing me to get to know them better.

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I suspect a lot of that is contractual. The WGA have some absolutely bizarre rules concerning attribution of credit, especially for adaptations. Witness the ridiculous Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas scenario, where Terry Gilliam was initially denied writing credit because a prior adaptation had already been written, despite the fact that Gilliam had actually used none of it for his script.